Business Licensing & Operations in Portsmouth, VA (2026)
6 verified business licensing & operations rules for Portsmouth, Virginia, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Adult Entertainment
Portsmouth restricts Adult Entertainment Establishments, defined to include adult hotels, motion picture arcades and theaters, cabarets, and sexual encounter centers, to a discretionary Use Permit in the General Mixed-Use (GMU), Light Industrial (IL), and Industrial (IN) districts only. No sexually explicit signage or visible display materials are allowed on the exterior or through windows.
Portsmouth Adult Entertainment Use Standards
Significant RestrictionsPortsmouth City Code §§ 40.2-213 (Definitions), 40.2-217(G)(1)
ADULT ENTERTAINMENT ESTABLISHMENT—Any adult hotel or motel, adult motion picture arcade, adult motion picture theater, cabaret, sexual encounter center, or any other business or establishment that offers its patrons services or entertainment characterized by an emphasis on matter depicting, describing, or relating to sexual activities or sexual anatomy... (G)Use-Specific Standards for Specific ...
Tattoo & Body Modification
Portsmouth requires every body art studio, tattoo artist, and body piercer to hold an annual permit from the Portsmouth Health District under City Code § 3-301. Studios must be in permanent buildings, pass unannounced health inspections, and keep client records four years; operating without a permit or tattooing a minor without a guardian present triggers criminal penalties.
Portsmouth Body Art Studio Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsPortsmouth City Code § 3-301
(a)No person shall operate a body art studio without a valid permit from the health department.(b)No person shall be a body artist or a body art studio owner or operator without first obtaining an applicable permit from the health department.(c)No permit shall be issued unless the applicant has complied with all applicable health requirements of this chapter and all applicable requirements of t...
Secondhand Dealers
Portsmouth requires anyone dealing in junk or secondhand paper to pay an annual license tax under City Code § 20-22, while every secondhand dealer must keep daily purchase records and file daily reports with the chief of police under §§ 18-51 and 18-52. Buyers of used goods from private sellers must also secure a bill of sale under § 18-27.
Portsmouth Secondhand Dealer Licensing Rules
Some RestrictionsPortsmouth, VA Code of Ordinances §§ 18-51, 20-22
Sec. 18-51. Dealer's record of purchases. (a)All dealers in secondhand clothing, furniture, appliances and other similar secondhand articles shall keep daily records of every article bought by them, such records to contain a full description of such articles, and to show all distinguishing marks, numbers, brands, letters, or monograms of any kind on such articles, together with the names and ad...
Pawnbrokers
Portsmouth pawnbrokers must log every loan or purchase with the pledgor's identity and description of goods, file a daily report with the chief of police by noon the next day, and let police inspect records and seize suspected stolen items on demand.
Portsmouth Pawnbroker Recordkeeping Law
Significant RestrictionsPortsmouth, VA City Code Sec. 18-2
Every pawnbroker shall keep at his place of business an accurate and legible record of each loan or transaction in the course of his business, including transactions in which secondhand goods, wares or merchandise are purchased for resale...Every pawnbroker shall prepare a daily report of all goods, articles or things pawned or pledged with him or sold to him that day and shall file such report...
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Portsmouth's zoning code flatly excludes vehicle repair from the list of allowed home occupations. Sec. 40.2-217(I)(3)(g)(xii) and the Sec. 40.2-215 definition both bar residents from running a car-repair business out of a home or accessory structure anywhere in the city.
Portsmouth Home-Based Auto Repair Ban
Heavy RestrictionsPortsmouth Zoning Ordinance §§ 40.2-215, 40.2-217(I)(3)(g)(xii)
HOME OCCUPATION—A business, profession, occupation, or trade which is conducted within a dwelling unit for the economic gain or support of a resident of the dwelling unit... Home occupation does not include such businesses as: vehicle repair and the like; dentists or physicians' offices and the like; ... animal kennels or hospitals and the like; or any other business which is inappropriate or o...
Towing Companies
Portsmouth caps what a wrecker company can charge and runs a police-maintained rotation list for accident and traffic-hazard tows. The chief of police sets maximum towing and storage fees by vehicle weight and can suspend operators for rule violations.
Portsmouth Tow Truck Fee and Rotation Rules
Some RestrictionsPortsmouth City Code § 37-250
The chief of police shall maintain a register of tow operators who shall be called in sequence to provide services at the scene of accidents or traffic hazards. The book shall be utilized only in those cases where the owner or operator of a distressed motor vehicle does not, for any reason, provide the police officer in charge with the name of a tow operator available to perform the required se...